Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
Tart, sweet, and just like your favorite lemon meringue pie. These cupcakes are a blast to make, and just as fun to eat.
Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
Ingredients
4 ounces butter, at room temperature
5 ounces sugar
2 eggs
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
5 ounces flour
11⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Tart Lemon Filling (recipe below)
Italian Meringue (recipe below)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a muffin pan with paper cups.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest. Set aside.
3. Cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes on medium.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each to make sure it is blended in completely.
5. Add half of the dry ingredient mix and blend in well on medium-low speed until just mixed. Add all of the buttermilk and mix until just blended. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until the batter just comes together.
6. Evenly spoon the batter into the lined muffin pan. Each cup should only be filled about three-quarters.
7. Bake the cupcakes for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out just clean.
8. Remove from the oven and lip the cupcakes on their side in the pan to let air circulate around them. Let them cool completely
9. Using a cookie cutter or a paring knife, cut out a small portion of the center of the cupcake
10. (make sure to leave enough around the edges to keep the cupcake structurally sound).
11. Using a piping bag or spoon, fill the hole in the cupcake with the tart lemon filling so that it is level with top of the cupcake.
12. Using an icing spatula, top each cupcake with a portion of the Italian meringue, styling it like you would a lemon meringue pie. Using a propane torch, fire the frosting to caramelize the outside, careful not to burn the tips.
Lemon Curd Filling
Ingredients
4 lemons, zested
3⁄4 cup lemon juice
12 ounces sugar
1⁄2 ounces cornstarch
4 eggs
6 ounces unsalted butter
Instructions
1. Zest and juice the lemons. Set aside.
2. In a heavy-bottomed pot, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Add the eggs and beat until the mixture is even.
3. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter. Heat the mixture over low and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
4. Cook over boiling for a few seconds until it thickens.
5. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
6. Once at room temperature, move to the refrigerator to chill completely.
Italian Meringue
Ingredients
16 ounces sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Place the sugar and water in a heavy bottomed pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Bring the sugar to 240°F.
2. While the sugar is heating, begin whipping the egg whites until the are fluffy and have expanded 2 to 3 times in volume.
3. Once the sugar is at 240°F and the egg whites are foamy, immediately begin slowly adding the hot sugar into the egg whites while whipping at medium-high speed. Be sure to add the sugar very slowly in a needle thin stream in between the whisk attachment and the side of the mixer bowl to avoid splattering.
4. Once the sugar is added, slowly pour in the vanilla while mixing. Increase the speed and whip the mixture at high speed until it is completely cooled and the egg whites form stiff peaks, about 10 to 20 minutes.